Not many can claim to have 100 sacks throughout the NFL’s history. Only 39 players can say they reached the century mark in sacks.
That number is about to increase unless something goes wrong. Aaron Donald is two sacks away from reaching that benchmark. The question is when will he hit 100?
Donald has 98 sacks in his career, so it shouldn’t take too long to reach the century mark. The schedule provides a glimpse at when he might get there.
Most SACKS in the #NFL since 2018:
1. T.J. Watt – 65.0
2. Aaron Donald – 59.0
3. Myles Garrett – 51.5
4. Cameron Jordan – 47.5
5. Chandler Jones – 43.5
6. Chris Jones – 41.0
7. Shaquil Barrett – 40.5
8. Robert Quinn – 38.5
9. Khalil Mack – 36.0
10. DeForest Buckner – 36.0 pic.twitter.com/DXMjdk7EI8— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) July 1, 2022
Week 1, Buffalo Bills
The Bills have a stellar young quarterback who is hard to bring down. Josh Allen is amongst the league’s lowest in taking sacks. Additionally, the Bills beefed up their offensive line. They brought in former Rams guard Rodger Saffold. He has been among the top offensive guards in the league for years.
On top of Saffold, the Bills returned guard Ryan Bates. They have a solid offensive line. The unit consists of Dion Dawkins, Saffold, Mitch Morse, Bates and Spencer Brown.
The weak link on the line, if there is one, is Brown. If Donald wants to get into the 100 sack club in game one, his best bet is to line up across from him. Donald is motivated to reach the milestone, but the Bills line is good. Combine that with Allen infrequently being sacked, and it is hard to predict it happening in week one.
Week 2, Atlanta Falcons
On the other hand, this is a game where Donald can tee off. The Falcons have one of the worst offensive line units in the league. Its best starter is Chris Lindstrom. Donald can beat him, or if the Rams move him around as they tend to, he could get to the quarterback.
The projected quarterback is Marcus Mariota. He is known for using his legs, so Donald will have to catch up to him. That has not been a problem in the past for Donald. He has made a career out of terrorizing Russell Wilson. Mariota is known for taking sacks, too. With the Titans, Mariota took 155 sacks in 61 starts. That averages out to 2.5 per game.
Furthermore, the Falcons’ wide receiver room is one of the worst in the league since Calvin Ridley is out for the year. Drake London, in his second game, and Bryan Edwards are projected starters. If the secondary keeps them in check, Donald could have himself a day.
As a result, Donald should not have to wait too long to reach 100 career sacks. I predict it will happen in week 2 in Los Angeles.
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